Obama outspending Romney on Spanish ads

WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign has spent more than $2 million on Spanish-language ads since April to lock down the Latino vote, media buy trackers said.

That's in addition to the $4 million super PAC Priorities USA Action and the Service Employees International Union have committed to spending on Spanish television and radio throughout the summer in Colorado, Nevada and Florida, Politico reported Sunday.

"In the past, a number of political campaigns have made the mistake when targeting Hispanic and Latino voters of either starting communicating with them too late or spending too little," said John Rowley, a Democratic media consultant. "I think that's a mistake that the Obama team is trying to not make."

A June survey of five swing states showed Obama has a significant lead over Romney among Latino voters, with an overall 36-percentage point lead in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Virginia, Politico said.

"It's a lot of votes," Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Charles Gonzalez, D-Texas, said. "And that may well determine who wins this election if it comes down to certain battleground states."

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.